I have been looking for a T/C frame to build a subsonic 30 caliber on.
Initially the 30's based on a 221/223 case were my goal but the local gun shop has a used Contender with a 14" bull 30 Herrett, scope and ammunition at an attractive price.

What is the standard rate of twist from the T/C factory for this chambering?

Is there anything that would preclude me from loading sub sonic bullets in this chambering?

Does anyone here have experience with sub sonic 30 Herrett loads?

I think most are 1:10 and the subsonic 300 Whisper barrels built by SSK are 1:8 so they can/ will stabilize the long slow bullets.

I have never even shot 150s out of mine so can not comment on performance with heavy bullets.

quote:

Originally posted by MLC:
I have been looking for a T/C frame to build a subsonic 30 caliber on.
Initially the 30's based on a 221/223 case were my goal but the local gun shop has a used Contender with a 14" bull 30 Herrett, scope and ammunition at an attractive price.

What is the standard rate of twist from the T/C factory for this chambering?

Is there anything that would preclude me from loading sub sonic bullets in this chambering?

Does anyone here have experience with sub sonic 30 Herrett loads?

Check the throat of the .30 Herrett barrel.
It will probably have a smooth unrifled section about .75 long. You will be able to load any bullet you can stabilize with the 10 inch twist.

T/Cs .30 Herrett barrels came in both 1:10" and 1:14" twists. I have had two 1:14" barrels. The slow twist will not stabilize long bullets, one I had shot oval holes with 165s. Too, the throats were short on the early barrels. As stated above, later barrels have the 1:10" twist and a longer throat, ideal for long heavy bullets.

You should be able to shoot the long bullets out of the 1:10" Herrett with ease. You will need a tad more powder than the .300 Whisper uses but performance should be just fine. My experience with .308" heavies has been in my 1:10" .300 Whisper, where sub-sonic 220 Sierras are deadly on hogs (and probably deer too, I'll find out).



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I owned a Herrett and 300 Whisper (both factory TC barrels) that were 1:10.

For subsonics the 170gr or 180gr RN or FP bullets, whether jacketed or cast would stabilize at subsonic velocities with H110 or H4227.

Never could get the 200+ gr bullets to stabilize with that twist. Later I had a 1:8 twist 300/221 that would stabilize pretty much anything I could find up to and including 240gr Matchkings.

I stumbled on this thread and since you have not gotten many replies I thought I would add my test data.

I shot pistol silhouette in New England until the sport dried up here. I had an RPM XL in 30 Herret for standing shooting and the info was from this gun. Another shooter used my load in a TC with good results. All my 30 cal. guns had a 1 in 10 twist and they all would stabilize Sierra 200 gr HPBTM bullets. No subsonics though. My final load was 20.0 gr of N133 rem 9 1/2 primer and cases from win 375 brass. Shot over an Oehler I got AVE Vel of 1340 fps an extreme spread of 10 and a SD of 5. No group sizes this was an iron sight standing load "I never did real well standing"

I developed these load in my 100' barn at night "no more cows" and the interesting thing was the change in muzzle flash as I worked from 16 to 20 grains of powder. The flash went from long and yellow to short and blue with the sound going from boom to crack as the load started to work. Kind of like tuning a gas engine by the exhaust. It was an interesting evening.

This load was mild and a real joy to shoot and it stays super sonic at least to 250 yds. I also have info on a 15" XP whisper if anyone is interested.....................................Tom C

Do you cast your own bullets? If so, you might be interested in the new 240gr NOE bullet moulds.

PB or GC, up to 5-cavity, available with one or two cavities HP'ed. Imagine a flat nose spitzer about 1.334" long...

Rich

I used to shoot 215 gr. cast bullets from my .30 PPC in benchrest competition ad it was a winning combination. My Hart barrels had 1 turn in 11" twists and the case capacity of that round isn't much more than than my .30 Herrett Contender.

I don't think you should have any trouble at all with bullets just as heavy in your Herrett.